Dispensing device for folded napkins and the like



P 17, 1929- E. c. MORRIS 1,728,694

' DISPENSING DEVICE FOR FOLDED NAPKINS AND THE LIKE Original Filed June 7, 1924 IN V EN T 0R. E C. 77702723 A TTORNEY Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE ELMER o. MORRIS, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T SERVO PAPER CORPORATION, A- CORPORATION or ILLINOIS DISPENSING DEVICE FOR FOLDED NAPKINS AND THE LIKE Original application as; June 7, 1924, Serial no. 718,415. Divided and this application tiled July 19,

1928. S.eria1No.2 93 ,964. v

into two complementary sections. which are,

hinged together so that the casing can be easily opened and closed for loading the same; the two sections are adapted to form opposite receptacles to receive respectively stacks of the articles, with the two stacks separated by an intervening Space, in which is mounted a spring mechanism adapted to press the stacks toward the end walls of their respective sections so that individual articles can be dispensed through openings in the end walls of the sections when the two sections are closed. Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the spring mechanism is automatically displaced when the casing is opened for reloading, so that the spring mechanism will not interfere with the introduction of the new stacks of articles.

This application is a division of my former application for improvements in dispensing devices filed June 7, 1924, hearing Serial No. 718,419, in which the instant invention is disclosed as a modification of the device therein shown and described.

The instant invention is described in detail hereinafter, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a dispensing device embodying the invention,

showing the container opened and the spring.

mechanism displaced therefrom.

Figure 2 1s a similar view, with the easing closed. D v

gure 3 1S a plan vlew of the lnterior of its transverse middle part.

the casing with the top removed, the walls belng shown in section.- I

Referring to the drawings in detail, 10

- designates a Supporting standard for the device, formed of stout wire bent to form legs 11 (any two of which are shown) quadri 'pensed, comprises a casing of a generally cubical Shape, somewhat elongated in one direction, and with its side and end walls slightly declined inward. This casing is transversely divided midway between its ends to formt wo complementary sections 14 and 15, respectively, in the end walls of which opposite dispensing openings 16 areformed. 1

The top and bottom of the casing are slightly ridged toward the meeting edges of the complementary sections, the bottom fitting the seat 12 of the supporting standard. The mutual engagement between the seat andbottom of the casing tends to hold the casing on the standard against accidental displacement. The meeting edges of the bottoms of the two complementary sections 14 and 15 are hinged together by the pintle .17. On the top of one of the sections is fixed the catch'18 adapted to engage a depression in the top of the other section to hold the two Sections together when the casing is closed.

Mounted in the casing is a spring means for feeding :the stacked articles in the respective sections toward the end walls and over the dispensing openings in said walls. In the central part of the casing is mounted the plate 19 transversely of the casing and extending at its lower part between the adjacent bottom edges of the complementary sections. The plate is hinged to the bottom edges b the pintle 17 t at also hin es together t is two bottom parts. lVith t e casing properly positioned on the seat 12 of Straddling the upper. edge of the plate 19 is a spring 20 of resilient strip metal, folded over the edge of' the plate and clamped thereto by the-bolt 21. The springcomprises the arms 22 normally diverging outwardly from oppositesides of the plate as shown in Fig. 1. ilhe arms carry at their extremities the Presser-feet 23extending upwardly and inwardly toward the plates, when the I springis in its normal condition, as shown in Fig. 1. k The spring, 'as a whole in its normally extended condition, covers a distance somewhat greater than the length of the casing when the latter is closed and the length of each presser-foot is slightly less than the 25 length of the dispensing opening in the fop'posite end wallof the casing.

In dispensing the napkins, the parts of the device are positioned as indicated'in Fig. 2, with the complementary casing sections 14, 15 closed, each of the sections having been loaded with a stack of the articles.

Preliminary-to stacking, each of the napkins 24, which may have beenfoldedinto a plut rality of plies, is folded toprovide compar'a Q tively long and short; folds.

the-napkinsarearranged with their short- In stacking;

, folds extending in uniform sequence on the same side of the'pack and the'shorter fold:

on the same face of the longer folds. '40 stack so formed is positioned in each of the casingsections with the napkins onedge and that part. of the stack containing the I shorter folds lowermost.- The is positioned in the casing section 'to abut the end 43 wall thereof with the shortffold; of the outside napkin registering with the dispensing opening 16. in saidwall.

In the space between the sta' ks is located I the spring20, compressed therebetween with 0' the presser-feet 23 hearing against the inner sides ofthe stacks to press the latter to"- ward the end walls of the complementary casing sections respectively containing the stacks. The marginal flange of the end ,wall'engages-the stack and holds the-same against the; action of the resser-foot, but

the pressure of the latter tends to bulge the stack through the dispensing opening 16. This bulgingeffect tends to project the free 5 end of the shorterfo ld. of the front napkin through the dispensing opening so that it can be readily 'grasped and 'the n'apkin withdrawn through the opening. As the articles are 'withdrawn,-the stack is fed forward against the end walk Owing to the conthe spring, compressingthe latter between to'hold, the sections closed:

siderable length of each presser-foot-and its supporting arm and theresilient nature of the metal strip forming the-spring, a fairly uni form pressure is maintained against the stack and this pressure is not great enough to interfere with an easy withdrawal of the napkins. To prevent injury to the napkins by contact of the presser-foot, a follower 25' may be; interposed between the presserfoot and the stack.'

To reload the container, the catch 18 is released and the complementary casing secinto the section's andthe follower plates positioned on the stacks. The complementary sections of the casing are then closed over the stacks, which are ur ed toward the dispensing faces of the casmg. With the sections closed, the catch 18 springs into place VVhat-I claim is: i 1. A dispensing-container for folded napkins and the like, comprising a casing transversely 'dividedatan intermediate part into two complementary sections, each section having a dispensing opening in its end wall, means for hinging together the two sections whereby they may be closed in compleme'nt ary' relation, said sections being adapted to receive stacked articles to ah the said end walls of therespective sections to be dispensed through the openings therein, and with the 'stacks spaced apart to provide a recess therebetween coincident with the meeting parts of the sections, and spring 119 means mounted in the casing within, .said recess to be compressed betweenthestacks when the sections are olosed, the compressed spring means operating to urge the opposite stacks toward the end walls of therespective sections. v

2. dispensing container for folded napkins and the like, comprising a-casing trans- ,vers'ely divided into two complementary sections, each section having a dlspensing open- 120 ing in its end wall and adapted to receive a stack of napkins to abut the end wall of the section tor be. dispensed'through the opening in said wall, spring means in the casing operative on closing of the casing sections to urgethe'opposite stacks toward the end. wallsofthe respective'sections con-. tainingsaid stacks, a hinge connection between the bottoms of the complementary cask ing sections including a pintle, and a .130

mounting for the spring means in thecasing including said pintle.

3. A dispensing container for folded napkins and the like, comprising a casing trans versely divided into two complementary sections, each sectionhaving a dispensingopen ing in its end wall and adapted to receive a stack of napkins to abut the end wall of the section to be dispensed through the opening in said wall, spring means in the. casing operative on closing of the casing sections to urge the oppositestacks toward the end walls of the respective sectionscontaining said stacks, a'hinge connection between the bottoms of the complementary casing sections including a pintle, and a mounting for the spring means. in the casing including said pintle.

4. A dispensing container for' folded nap-p kinsand the like, comprising a casing transversely divided at an intermediate part into two complementary sections, each section having a dispensing opening in its end wall and adapted to receive a stack of napkins.

to abut the end wallv of the section, hinge means including a pintle connecting the adjacent edges of thebottoms of the com plementary sections, means for holding the complementary sections in closed relation, spring means positioned'in an intermediate part ofgthe casing tobe compressed between opposite contained stacks when .the sections are closed, said spring means under conipressipn. operating to .press the contained stacks toward the end walls of the respective complementary casing sections, and a mounting including .the

5. dispensing container for folded na'p kins and the like, comprising a'casing transversely divided at an intermediate part into two complementary sections, each section having a dispensing openiiig in, its end wall and-adapted to receive a stack of napkinsf i to-abut the end wall of the sections, hinge means including apintle connecting thev ad-- jacent edgesof the-bottoms of the complementary sections, means for holding the complementary sections in closed relation,

and spring means mounted in the casing and connected with the pintle'l to be held in place thereby, said spring means beingpositioned in an intermediate part of the casing to be compressed between opposite contained stacks when the. casing sections are closed,

' said spring means under compression oper-J- atingto press the-container stacks'toward the end walls of the respective complemen tary casing'sections.

6,. 'A dispensing container forfolded napkins and the like, comprising a casing transversely divided into two complementary sections, each section having a dispensing open-' ing in its iendwall and ada ted to receive a stack Qfnapkins to abut t e endT-wall of pintle for holding the;

spring means i l i the section to be dispensed through the opening in said wall, hinge nieansconnecting the bottoms of the complementary casing sect-ions,,opposite presser-feet operative to r engage respectively the opposite stacks of napkins, a mounting for the presser-feet 1ncluding spring arms respectively attached at an end to the opposite presser-feet,-and common meansconnecting the other ends of thespring arms to the hinge means to maintain the presser-feet and spring arms in position with relation to the container, 'SillCl presserfeet'and spring arms being compressed betions, each section having a dispensing opening in its end wall and adapted to rece1ve a.

stack of napkins to abut the end wall of the section to be dispensed through the open-,

ing in said wall, hinge means including 'a pintle connecting the bottoms of the complementary casing sections, opposite presserfeet operative to engage respectively the opposite stacks of napkins, a mounting for the presser-feet including spring armsrespecti'vely attached at one end to the opposite presser-feet,and a common means connecting the other ends of the spring arms ,to the ,l

pintle ofthe hinge means to maintain the presser-feet and spring arms in position with-relation to the container, said' presserfeet and spr ng arms being compressed between. the stacks enclosing the casing secofth'erespective casing sections.

8; A dispensing container for folded napkins and the like, comprising a casing transversely dividedv into two complementary sections, each section having. a dispensing opening in its end wall and adapted'to receive a stack of napkins to abut the end wall of tions-to urge the stacks toward the end walls the section, to be dispensed through the open ing in said wall, spring means in the casing operative on closing of I-tlie casing sections walls of the respective sections containing said stacks, an element constituting a,h-mge operative position with regardto the casing.

9. A dispensing container for. folded napkins and the.like, comprising a casing transversely divided into two complementary sections, each section having a dispensingopening'in its-end wall and adapted to "refceive a stack of napkins to abut the end wall to "urge the opposite'stac s toward the end connection between the bottoms of the com- I plementary casing sections, and a support for the spring means connected with said elenrient to maintain the spring means ln" of the section tobe dispensedthrough the I opening inws'aid wall, spring means in the casing-j'operative on closing of the casing sections to urge the opposite stacks toward the endwalls of the respective sections containing said stacks, a hinge connection between the adjacent edgesof the bottoms of the casing sections including a pintle, a member connected at an intermediate part with said pintle and carrying at its upper part the spring means to position thesame with regard to the casing.

10. The "combination with a supporting standard provided with a vertical guideway, of a dispensing container for folded napkins and the like adapted to beseat'ed on said supporting standard, said container comprising a casing transversely divided into two complementary sections, each sectionhaving a dispensing opening in its end wall and adapted to receive a stack of napkins to abut the end wall of thesection to be dispensed through the opening in said Wall, spring means in the casing operative on closing of the casing sections to urge the opposite stacks-toward the end Walls of the respective sections containing said stacks,

a hinge connection between adjacent edges of the-botto1ns of the casing sections including apintle, a member extending between the edges of the bottoms of the casing sections and registering at its intermediate part with the vertical guideway of the supporting standard, said member being connected by the pintle to the casing bottoms and carrying at its upper end the sprin means, said member sliding in the guid eway as the casing sections are opened and closed to maintain the spring'means in operative position with relation to the casing.

. 11. In a dispenser for napkins and the like, thecombination with receptacleshingedly connected together at one end and provided with openings. for the withdrawal of the contents thereof, of means for adjustably positioning the said contents adjacent the said openings and comprising a supporting member connected Withsaid receptacles adjacent to. their hinged connection and spring membersanounted at one end on said supporting member within said receptacles and adapted with their free ends to press said napkins toward the said openings, and means for locking together the free ends of the said hinged receptacles.

12. In a dispenser for napkins and the like, the combination with receptacles hingedly connected together at one end and provided with openings for the withdrawal of the contents thereof, a member mounted to extend within the receptacles, and a pair of fiat bowed spring arms fastened at one end to said member and adjust-ably positioning the said contents adjacent the said openings and adapted with their free ends to press the napkins toward said openings.

13. A dispensing container for folded napkins and the like, comprising a casing through the openings therein, a pressure exerting device mounted in the casing to urge the separated stacks toward the respective end walls of the casing sections when closed, and means whereby said device is actuated by the closing action of the filled sections.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ELMER C. MORRIS. 

